Protecting You
by reihteah
Summary: She just always felt like she was in the way. / amourshipping
1. poison

"This forest must go on _forever_, huh…" Serena's meek voice quietly exaggerated. The newly developed friend group was off to the next location, to create new adventures. However, that required them to go through a route on their way to Camphirer Town. And that route happened to have a heavily treed area that seemed to go on, well, _forever_.

"No worries, I'm sure we're almost there!" The loud, optimistic Ash Ketchum exclaimed as he raised his fist in the air with determination.

"Piika!"

Serena looked over on her right to see Ash smiling while his Pikachu rode on his shoulder. _Keep it together, Serena. You look like an idiot for even showing one ounce of fear! _she scolded herself. _Ash would be disappointed._

"I'm _tired_ though," huffed the small blonde child as she nuzzled her Dedenne. "Why can't we just make camp here?"

Clemont replied to his sister with an edge in his voice, "Do you really want to spend the night in this forest? The trees are so dense that the moonlight is hardly showing. Who knows what's in this forest?" Serena shivered as her eyes darted back and forth, glancing at random trees.

Bonnie pouted and pursued her lips out while crossing her arms. "_I _don't mind. So speak for yourself, brother!"

"Are you implying that I'm scared?"

"You're the one suggesting it!" she countered. "If you're not scared, then let's rest here." Her lazy electric rodent pokemon nodded in agreement.

"S-Suggestion!" Serena's voice piped up suddenly, stuttering in hidden fear. She sweat-dropped and continued on as she looked at her electronic map, "There's a hotel in the town coming up, so I think we should stay there."

"Hehe, looks like Serena is the scared one," Bonnie muttered slyly. Both Ash's and Clemont's eyes immediately focused on the teen girl to see if that accusation was true.

She threw up her arms and shook them wildly in her defense. She was absolutely humiliated at her pride being threatened. Serena then retorted, "Of course I'm not, I'm just thinking practically!"

She couldn't actually admit that she was scared of a forest when Ash was right in front of her. He found her lost, defeated, and fearful of a forest once before, but she wanted those times to be over.

Ash scratched his head and chuckled as he recalled the same memory, "You never did very well in forests, right Serena?"

The honey blonde girl blushed at his comment and turned away from the group, her hair covering her saddened eyes. "What are you talking about? I was a little girl then, but now I've grown up!" Suddenly, she flung her face back over to them but this time with a motivated smile and a confident dazzle in her eyes. "Clemont!" she ordered, "Drop your supplies and make camp here. Ash, go find firewood. And Bonnie, feed the pokemon! I'll start on dinner!"

Ash flashed a genuine and proud smile. "See Bonnie, Serena isn't scared at all! That's my girl!" Even though Serena knew that Ash meant hardly anything by calling her 'his girl', it made her blush intensify.

Serena lifted out her one and only pokeball. "Go, Fennekin! Help Ash find firewood and help him start a fire!" The fire fox pokemon, which loved finding twigs and wood, was ejected out of it's ball and was transported in front of his trainer. Fennekin nodded at his order. "I'll be going off to find some berries!" she determinedly spoke. Nobody noticed her legs trembling and her bottom lip quivering.

* * *

"I just _had_ to run my stupid mouth and let my _stupid_ pride get involved, didn't I? Stupid Serena!" The girl mumbled to herself. "Now I'm lost, cold, tired, and hungry! Ash and the others are probably hungry too… Ugh, I let them all down! I really need to find where I am…" She heard unfriendly and unfamiliar pokemon cries in the distance that left her frozen in fear. "… and before the wrong crowd finds where I am first!"

She tried to back track on where she came from, but all the shrubbery and the trees looked identical. It's been only twenty minutes since she left her friends, but her anxiety of forests made it seem like it's been an hour. Looking up at the darkened canopy of the trees, she hoped to see any kind of light come through, but there was hardly any that would allow her to see as much as she had wanted to see. However, while looking up, her blue eyes noticed an oran berry tree. She smiled and ran up to the trunk of the tree.

"At least I found what I was looking for!" Her optimistic side of her found a way back out. "Just gotta find out how to climb this now…" Serena studied the bark and the branches and rushed into determining whether or not it was climbable. She made a headway and planted her feet each time she grabbed higher on each checkpoint. The young teen finally made it all the way up to the leaves and the berries, which was a good fifteen feet up. She began to pick a plethora amount to bring back.

"I did it! _Never give up until the e_—" All of a sudden, a swarm of angry Beedrill that seemed to have just been woken up surrounded her in the air, which forced her to stop mid-sentence of Ash's quote.

"Beeeeee," they agitatedly cried out.

"A-Ah… Beedrill, hi… hello," Serena whispered out in a hushed tone. "I mean no harm…" She lifted up her arms and motioned that it was okay, but they didn't like the movement.

"Beeeeeeee!" They swarmed her and stung her with a nasty poison sting that not only caused her pain, but it resulted in her losing her balance off the branch. Serena let out a huge screech as she fell from the tree and descended towards the ground.

She landed hard and she waited for the pain to come, but she soon realized her whole body was numb from the poison sting. The injured trainer looked up to see the Beedrill fly away—their target seemed terminated.

Suddenly very frantic, she tried to gather up all the berries she picked for everyone that she dropped when she fell through the air.

_If only I had another pokemon…I could have maybe saved myself…_ Serena dejectedly thought as she tried to ignore the pain searing through her body as her oran berries were all out of reach. _Maybe I would know what pokemon to get next if I even knew what I even wanted to do with my life… Mama wants me to be a Rhyhorn racer… She always tells me how proud Papa would have been too… But is it really what I want? What _do_ I even want?_

Her depressing thoughts made her vision blurred. "What am I even doing?" her quiet voice mumbled out into the eerie silence of the woods. "Get up, stop being so weak…" Serena tried to command herself, but she realized it was counteractive when she felt her warm tears fall down her cheeks. _Why am I so weak? _Her shaking arms reached out one last time to get the berries into her grasp. "I just want to go back to Ash…" Serena whimpered before she suddenly passed out from the unbearable pain.

Footsteps suddenly approached her and a voice spoke out to the unconscious girl, "Look, it's one of da twerp's friends!"

"So maybe being lost in this forest wasn't that bad of a thing after all…"

* * *

"Ash, it's been awhile, do you think Serena is okay in the forest all by herself?" Clemont observed as he watched Ash finish feeding Pikachu, Fletchling, and Froakie with Bonnie. The raven haired boy looked up in concern.

"Yeah, we already set up camp and started a fire… and yet, she's not back… It's been a while…" Ash slowly replied as he glanced at the place where she left.

Bonnie chirped in, "Yeah, I'm seriously so hungry! I just want food!"

Clemont glared at his little sister but spoke seriously, "I really hope she is okay. She was acting weird earlier too."

"Pika-pi…" Pikachu spoke sadly as he looked up to his owner.

"Right! Okay, you two stay here, I'm going to go find her. She has a knack for getting lost!" Ash chided in a grin. "Pikachu, Froakie—stay here with Clemont and Bonnie. Fletchling, please come with me to help search!" His Pokemon obeyed immediately.

"Ash, be careful," Clemont warned as he pushed up his glasses. "You don't know this area very well."

Ash nodded and said, "I'll be back soon with her. Oh, and of course back with something to eat!"

* * *

"Fletchling, did you see anything?" Ash questioned as he met back up with his flying Pokemon after several attempts at trying to find his childhood friend.

"Fletch…" the small bird chirped in dismay as he hovered in front of Ash's face.

"Okay, well, go in the opposite direction, and I'll try going this way instead. Meet me as soon as you see anything!"

"Liiiing!"

Ash's concern only grew as his search provided no information as to where she could have ran off. "Serena!" he called out in the forest to only hear his echo as a reply. "Serena, where are you?!"

As soon as he called her name that seemed like the millionth time, he suddenly heard another person's voice that caught him off guard. The distance between him and the stranger was so far away that he couldn't even make out what he had said, however, he followed where he heard the mumbling.

Ash then saw the three figures that he couldn't make out. He hurriedly ran towards them with new found motivation. "Hey! Have you guys seen a girl—"

The three darkened figures were suddenly visible and they were too familiar for Ash's liking… _Team Rocket_. The trio turned around and revealed the hurt and unconscious Serena that laid on the ground in front of them.

"Wha—?! What the heck did you do to Serena?!" The young Pokemon master screamed as he ran to the girl's side to see her pained expression on her unconscious face. When they didn't respond, he screamed out, "Tell me!"

James spoke out with no interest as he ran his hand through his hair, "We didn't do anything to your precious girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?! What? She isn't my—just what happened to her then?!" Ash fumbled over his words out of embarrassment and frustration.

The devious, evil team rocket female grinned as she thought of a plan. "Actually, James, we don't have to lie to him."

Meowth glanced up, somehow understanding her plan. "'Dat's right. We did dis to da twerpette."

Ash immediately stood up and demanded angrily, "What do you mean?!"

"Prepare for trouble, our middle name…" Jessie spat as she twirled up through the air.

James was a little off key because he wasn't aware of what was going on. "A-And make it double, it's a high stake's game!"

"To protect the—"

"Enough Team Rocket!" Ash hissed, interrupting their motto, as he ran up to James and grabbed him by his shirt. The height differences was quite comical but the seriousness Ash was portraying was no laughing matter. "It's one thing to be a thief, but it's another thing to hurt people! Now answer me, _what did you do?_" James sweat dropped and looked expectantly towards Jessie.

"We've decided to take the girl with us," she smirked as she strutted over to Ash and James. She slapped Ash's hand easily off her teammate and pushed the young trainer away. "Now shoo."

"Take her with you? As if I would ever let that happen!" Ash roared as he felt his Fletchling hovering above, planning his next move now that he knew his Pokemon was close by and ready for instructions.

James threw out a pokeball swiftly, finally getting the gist of Jessie's plan. "Go, Inkay!"

The squid Pokemon instantly knew his trainer's wishes and squirted ink into Ash's direction right as he came out of the Pokeball.

"Now!" Ash screamed, pointing his finger directly at the ink that was flying towards him.

"Fletch!" His bird Pokemon appeared and used gust to hurl Inkay's attack back on him. Then, James' Pokemon flew up higher to dodge the attack, however, his trainer and his two friends were the ones splashed with the blinding goop.

"Inkay!" James cried out furiously.

"That worthless pokemon!" Jessie screeched as she tried wiping her eyes off.

"Why would you want to take Serena?" Ash fiercely asked.

As if she somehow heard her name, Serena slowly stirred awake from all the noise. _My head_…

"'Cause it'd make a fair trade. Dat girl… for your Pikachu," Meowth spat.

James suddenly called out as he regained his sight, "Use psychic on that girl, Inkay! Bring her to us!"

"Fletchling, hurry and use quick attack!" Ash commanded as his Pokemon did what he was told. "Do not let that Inkay touch one hair on Serena!"

_Is that Ash's voice?_ Serena's eyes fluttered open to see a Pokemon battle right in front of her. Her heart began racing once she saw Ash right in front of her, protecting her.

"Good hit! Now, finish them all off with a strong Razor Wind!"

Fletchling understood and started flapping his wings vigorously towards the enemies. Within moments, Team Rocket was flown up into the air after crashing through tree branches of the canopy.

"We're blasting off again!" They called out in unison.

"Great job, Fletchling!" Ash complimented and gave his Pokemon a thumbs up.

"Ash?" Serena weakly called out as she tried to sit up.

"Serena!" He rushed towards her with worry. "Are you okay? What did they do to you?"

"I…" Serena tried to speak but once Ash touched her cheek, her voice failed her as she felt butterfrees squirm in her stomach.

"You're poisoned!"

"W-Was that Team Rocket just now?" Serena whispered in utter confusion.

"Yeah, weren't they the ones who hurt you?" Ash questioned as he intently looked at his friend.

Serena shook her head. "No… it was my own fault." She pointed up above to the oran tree that she climbed. "I climbed that… Wild Beedrill came and attacked me… and I fell…"

Ash gasped, "Are you okay?!"

She nodded weakly and looked to the side, embarrassed.

"You don't look okay. That was a stupid question. Hurry, let's get you back to camp," He bent down and motioned for her to get on his back. "Hop on!"

"H-H-Hop on?!" Serena shrieked but as she began to speak again, her voice cracked and she began shivering from the impact of the poisoning. She withdrew further away from Ash as all the pain impacted her all at once. Serena whimpered as she fell onto the ground before looking helplessly up at Ash.

"Serena!" In one quick motion, he hauled his childhood friend onto his back with ease as she barely reacted. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."


	2. isolation

"Waahh! Don't let me fall, Rhyhorn!" Serena muttered as she jolted awake from her nightmare within seconds, somehow managing to sit up. Her eyes darted from side to side as she tried to take in the location to determine where she was and everything that surrounded her—advanced technology, clean appliances, a homey-feel—led her to believe she was in a Pokémon Center. Then the honey blonde girl noticed Bonnie half asleep with her head on the side of Serena's bed.

A small smile was placed on her face as she fondly and gratefully looked at her young companion._ She must have been worried,_ Serena thought as her heart felt warm. But within moments, her heart hardened with fear. Her whole body tingled with embarrassment. _Oh no! Ash!_ She face-palmed and squirmed in embarrassment. She managed to fall out of the bed, the sheets toppling all over her. She hit her hip hard on the tiled floor and started rubbing her side for comfort.

Bonnie woke in a startle from that action and she shrieked out drowsily, "Serena!"

"Heh, heh… Hi Bonnie, how long was I asleep?" Serena bashfully asked as she slowly got back up into the bed and under the covers. She felt a lot healthier, but yet she didn't feel her best and she still yearned for the warm bed's comfort.

"A lot of hours, I'm not really sure," the little blonde responded as she pet her awakening Dedenne. "I slept a lot too, you know!"

Serena slowly nodded, glancing unsurely around the room. "Ohhh, okay… And, um, the others?"

"You mean brother? And Ash and Pikachu?" Bonnie placed a finger on her chin. "Brother went to stock up on some supplies. Ash should still be sleeping… He carried you on his back for a long time!"

Serena paled and her body stiffed. "Oh really?" She managed to mumble as she set her gaze on her fumbling fingers.

"Yeah. But I'm glad you're okay, Serena! You really worried me! Don't ever do that again!" Bonnie scolded lightheartedly, but you could tell she was honestly hurt.

"Dede!" her electric rodent companion added on.

Serena giggled slightly. "Yes, yes. I promise I won't." She dropped her head low and whispered to herself, "I need to get stronger." _I can't believe Ash carried me all the way to the next town…_

"What was that?"

Serena shook her head and smiled bigger. "Nothing, just saying that I'm starving!"

* * *

"You were hurt badly out there," Nurse Joy spoke out in her gentle voice to the listening girl. "You ended up being extremely lucky you didn't break a bone or get deeper cuts. You're even luckier that your friends were able to find you…if you weren't treated in a few more hours for the poison, your wounds could have been fatal."

The whole gang—Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie—were all in Serena's hospital room, listening about Serena's current situation. The whole room gasped at even the mention of death as they all turned to Serena in apprehension and affection. Bonnie even began to get tears in her eyes while Serena sat back, motionless in shock.

"But!" The pink haired nurse restored cheer in her voice. "The treatment was successful and your full health should be restored in a matter of a day. Please do be careful though next time!"

And with that and a formal goodbye, Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff retreated from Serena's room back to their normal station to greet other trainers.

"Oh wow Serena, I'm so glad you're okay," Clemont spoke as he patted his friend's back in good nature. "I'll be sure to make you the best compass modern science can develop so you won't get lost next time!"

Ash nodded towards his dorky friend, but then immediately faced Serena. "Great Clemont! But as if I'll let her out of my sight again!"

The other three whipped their heads towards the Pokémon trainer in almost disbelief of such a possessive declaration from Ash. He sweat-dropped and laughed awkwardly. "C'mon, I'd do it for any of you guys too," he choked out.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu laughed cheerily.

Serena couldn't help but smile and feel warm at all the comfort from her friends, but she also couldn't help but deep down, feel a twinge of worthlessness.

* * *

Serena took it easy for the remainder of that afternoon—she enjoyed the peace and the rest that she isn't usually granted. Don't get her wrong—she loves the craziness that ensues with her new friends, but it is also nice to have alone time. Especially when she feels not only physically ill, but mentally tired as well. She couldn't get over the fact that she almost died because of her carelessness. It made her utterly sick to her stomach.

When she heard the door knob start to rattle, she instantly shut her eyes and pretended to be sleeping—she really didn't want to deal with anyone else right now. Was that selfish of her? Serena mentally scolded herself.

"Grace contacted me immediately. She figured that I should be the first to know." An all-too familiar deep voice whispered haughtily back to another person behind him.

_Calem…?_ Serena thought slowly as she still pretended to be asleep. _My mom told him about my condition? Wait, how does she know about—_ Serena's thoughts were interrupted by the second person.

"It's nice that a friend from her hometown came to visit," Ash's voice responded in a hushed tone as well. "She was badly hurt."

"Thanks, but I don't think you want me around her," the stranger to Ash coyly said as a small grin came on his face. "You might get some competition, you know."

"Competition? So you're a Pokémon trainer… Okay, remind me to battle you later," Ash obliviously whispered as he went to the side of the bed. "She's still asleep, like I had said."

The boy smirked and started to walk over towards Ash. He bent down and brushed a stray blonde hair out of Serena's face. For some odd reason that he couldn't place, Ash heated up with irritation as this random stranger delicately touched her.

Serena, on the other hand, couldn't even begin to understand what the past three minutes just meant. And she wished she could open her eyes more than anything to see Calem.

The two used to be rather close friends, and quite honestly, they were only so close because they were in fact, rivals. Serena always lost to him and it wouldn't have mattered too much to her, but he was always so cocky about it. His arrogance built a special place in Serena's heart—more appreciation for her childhood crush that she had met at a summer camp, Ash, who was a genuinely nice guy. She could never see herself and Calem as a…thing…and him barging into her life after almost a year from a huge blow-out they had made her so confused.

She still felt Calem caress her "sleeping" face and it made her rather uncomfortable.

"Okay," Ash abruptly whispered out of no where. "Let's let her sleep, okay? We can have a battle in the mean-time."

Why did Ash just sound so… rude? Serena asked herself.

"I'll pass," Calem replied smoothly. "I just came to drop by, but I'll take my leave now. Give her my best wishes."

His footsteps walked away and another pair soon chased after.

"You're not staying for when she wakes up? You—" Ash's voice faded out until it was completely muffled by the shut door.

Serena peeked her eyes open and as soon as she knew the two had left the room, she hit her forehead and exasperatedly sighed.

"What just happened?" Serena mumbled as she soon found sleep again.

* * *

"Serena, Serena!" A high-pitched voice forcefully whispered at her. Serena's eyes opened instantly to see her friends all hovering over her bed.

Serena slowly sat up and mumbled out sleepily, "Good morning."

"Morning?" Ash chuckled.

Pikachu's small paws grabbed the curtains that were blocking the window. "Pikachu!" He showcased outside, showing Serena that is was dusk outside.

Serena wiped her eyes and looked expectantly at her friends. Why would they wake her at night time? She became irritated and threw the blankets over her repulsive, messy hair.

"Someone's been really worried about you!" Bonnie chided in a devious grin. Serena's heart skipped a beat and she immediately peeked back out from the blankets.

Right as she looked up, she saw her Fennekin in the air, jumping on her lap. She was so happy to see her beloved fox Pokemon, but she also couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment that it wasn't Calem.

"Fennekin!" Serena exclaimed in joy as she felt her eyes almost watering. "I missed you, buddy! Mama's okay! I'm okay!"

Fennekin nuzzled her affectionately. "Fen, fen!" It barked happily.

"We are going to go to this restaurant." Clemont spoke after their reunion. "We wanted to see if you wanted to come. You've been asleep all day, we thought you'd want to get out. Science proves that fresh air helps when regaining your strength because—"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go," Serena mumbled, interrupting Clemont, still focusing her attention on her fox Pokemon by petting him. "Gimme, like, ten minutes to get dressed though."

"Yay!" Bonnie chirped as she skipped out of the room. Following her was her brother and after Ash gave the hidden Serena a sympathetic glance, he quickly exited as well with his Pikachu.

Serena exhaled as she gradually out of the bed and went into the hospital bathroom to wash up and change into a clean set of clothes.

* * *

"Good evening! My name is Ami and I'm your waitress tonight. Do y'all know what you're having tonight?" This girl was still a teenager, but yet she looked old enough to be working. Serena enviously glanced at her and felt her body heat up in irritation and jealousy. This girl had a very pretty face with bright blue eyes that resembled her own, but yet she had fierce red hair that was tied back in a loose braid. She was very bodacious and it made Serena second guess her second rate curves.

"I'll take the Dark Leaf Berry Salad, please miss," Clemont ordered his food to the waitress.

"Mhmm, great choice. And for you, handsome?" She winked towards Ash.

"I'll have the Super Deluxe Overload Extreme!" He declared, pointing to the biggest meal on the menu to the waitress. The beautiful red-headed worker giggled and blushed towards Ash, which put Serena in a horrid mood. The oblivious Ash smiled back towards the girl.

"What about you, cutie?" She referred to Clemont's sister, who was holding her Dedenne possessively. "And what a cute Dedenne! Cutest one I've ever seen!"

Bonnie's eyes shined. "Thank you, pretty girl!" She exclaimed as she jumped up from the booth. The little blonde got onto her knees and spoke in a serious tone, "How would you like to accompany my lovely brother on the venue of an exciting life of a Pokémon Gym Lead—"

"B-B-Bonnie!" Clemont was utterly humiliated. "What are you thinking, doing this all of a sudden?!"

"Sorry, hun. I only go for guys like your friend over there," She flirtatiously lifted her delicate finger and pointed to Ash. Ash paid no attention to her though; he was too busy getting his precious Pikachu settled in for dinner.

Bonnie—completely heartbroken—returned to her seat while Clemont—completely embarrassed—turned away from the girl. Serena—completely pissed—glared at the girl.

"I'd like the—" Serena began, hissing out each enunciation out of fury.

The waitress interrupted, completely disregarding the female trainer. "Okay! I'll be off with your orders!" She skipped away after snatching the menus, leaving everyone at the table dumbfounded.

Once she was out of sight, Ash scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Serena, wait... did you order anything?"

"I'm not hungry," Serena mumbled as she looked to the side and away from everyone. Her mood changed instantly from anger to sad. Usually, she was aggressive and if someone upset her or something was unfair, she would be the first to make it known—but tonight she measly sat, glowing in defeat.

"But! But! You were about to order, Serena!" Bonnie defended.

Serena shook her head, lifted her arms to wave them, and sweat-dropped. "It's okay." She tried to change the subject. "So, Ash, um, what are the next plans?"

"I'm going to train literally all day tomorrow! I'm going to get Froakie in top notch condition and I'm going to teach Pikachu a new move. We kind of got set back yesterday but…"

Serena's mind began to block out his voice. _He's only set back because of you,_ her thoughts snarled. _You set him back._

The four of them enjoyed a nice dinner conversation as Serena tried to pretend to be happy, not wanting to make them worry anymore. They all laughed when Dedenne tripped off the table and fell onto the floor after playing around with Pikachu. And soon enough, their food came out of the kitchen.

"Here's your orders!"

"Excuse me, miss, but why didn't you try taking my friend's orders earlier?" Ash politely asked, but you could tell there was some force behind it. Serena looked up expectantly, not realizing that Ash would stick up for her. Her heart swelled with happiness that he cared enough to bother asking.

"Oh… Oh! Your _friend's_? Silly me for thinking there was more behind it!" She laughed mockingly as she touched Ash's shoulder. Serena froze from what she had meant and by her touching him. "Sure, sure. I'll get her a salad right away."

"I didn't even want to order a sala—"

"Honey, I'm doing you a favor," the waitress' voice was suddenly hoarse and hostile.

Serena knew she shouldn't have gotten out of bed.

* * *

"That dinner was nice, thank you for inviting me out!" Serena thanked in an empty voice, trying her very best to sound grateful.

"I'm sorry that girl was so rude. Brother is better off without her!" Bonnie grumbled as she kicked a rock. They all were headed back to the Pokemon center to sleep for one more night before they headed out again to continue their journey.

"I just don't understand what her problem was with you though!" Ash raged in a quiet voice. He threw up his hand forcefully.

"Piiiika," Pikachu muttered while perched on Ash's shoulder.

Serena shrugged and smiled. "It's okay, really. I wasn't even offended," she lied. "If I was, I would have said something."

"How are you feeling?" Clemont abruptly asked the honey blonde trainer.

She threw up the peace sign and stuck out her tongue and forced herself to act energetically, "So much better! Thanks for asking!"

"That's great to hear!" Bonnie shouted in joy.

Serena doubted whether or not they could see through her facade.

* * *

Because she slept all day, it was impossible for her to sleep when she needed to. Bonnie laid next to her in the queen sized bed, completely passed out while cuddling the asleep Dedenne. She didn't want to wake her up by getting out of bed, but she was so restless she felt like there was no choice but to get up and do something.

Serena grabbed Fennekin's Pokeball and quietly exited the room, hoping that she wouldn't wake up the other two from the other room as well. She tiptoed down the hall while in her pastel pink pajamas and held her Pokeball preciously next to her aching heart. She rounded the corner to only bump into someone. She took a few steps back and dropped the Pokeball, it opened and materialized her fox Pokemon.

"Fen-Fennekin!" He barked up at the person in front of them.

"Hey!" She mumbled as she glanced up to see that it was a sleepy Clemont. "Oh, it's just you..."

Clemont arched his eyebrow. "Hoping for someone else?"

"N-No."

"What are you doing up?" Clemont yawned mid-sentence.

An idea suddenly popped in her head. "Hey! Clemont!" Her voice was almost at yelling point.

It startled the blonde Gym Leader. "Yes?!"

"Let's have a Pokemon battle, right here, right now! Well, not exactly right here... Technically it will be outside... But still! Let's do this!" Serena's confidence was at an all time low, so practicing to better herself could only result into good. _Okay Serena, _she thought to herself in determination. _I can do this!_

"Serena, it's one o'clock in the morning..." Clemont sighed. "But, if it will cheer you up, we definitely can."

"Thank you! Thank you!" She snatched his pale hand and gratefully shook it. "But wait, what do you mean cheer me up?"

"You've been in the dumps ever since your accident. You can fool the others, but I'm a genius, I can see all your different antics you've been doing."

Serena blushed. "Yes, this will cheer me up. So thank you! Just make sure you don't wake up Ash, okay?"

Clemont gave her a knowing look and a small grin. "Okay."

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! This story is anticipated to have_ at least_ twelve chapters, so please stay tuned! :)

Next chapter will be their late night (early morning? ha) Pokemon battle. It will also dive into more of Calem and Serena's back story... and if anyone wonders who the heck he is, he's the black haired dude in the Pokemon X & Y games! I wanted to incorporate him in here somehow... hehe.. -insert evil grin here-

Please review, it really makes my day.

xoxo


	3. battle

The honey blonde trainer hurried outside while grasping her Fennekin tightly in her arms while she ran. She was more than excited for her first real Pokemon battle between two trainers. Serena waited for Clemont to come outside, but after a little more than ten minutes passed, she became impatient. He was no where to be seen and her excitement started to diminish.

She knew he had to go get his Pokeballs from his room in the Pokemon Center, but she didn't think that it'd take this long.

Serena sighed and squatted down and started to play with a small stick in the dirt, carving out multiple circles, out of boredom.

"Fen…" her fox Pokemon nudged her thigh expectantly.

"Yes, yes," Serena mumbled as she threw up the tiny branch for her Pokemon to munch on. Fennekin pepped up out of happiness while his owner still squatted and resorted to playing in the dirt with her pointer finger.

"Serena!" Clemont's gasped, out of breath from running. The said trainer looked up immediately to see her friend running from the Pokemon Center under a street light. "I'm… here… Just, I, uh…"

"Serena!" Another voice called out her name. This voice made her stand up from bending down, brushing her dirty finger on her pajamas, and quickly fix her hair. "I came to watch your first Pokemon battle!"

"Clemont," she growled with clenched teeth as she glared at the blonde trainer that finally made it. She specifically asked him not to wake Ash up (which waking him up would have been a lot harder), yet she still sees him right in front of her.

"I…I…" Clemont started but his voice failed him as he still tried to catch his breath. Serena noticed that he had changed into his jumpsuit instead of wearing those dorky pajamas she caught him in earlier.

Ash then suddenly put his hand on her shoulder once he reached her. He noticed that she was upset and tried to comfort her. "Hey, I'm a light sleeper," he lied in a good manner, even when she knew full well that he wasn't even close to being a light sleeper. "Clemont was just clumsy and managed to make a huge ruckus doing who-knows-what and woke me up. Plus, I really wanted to be here for your first battle!"

Serena was flattered, but still underlying upset at the situation. _What if I lose horribly? Now he's here to see my failure! _She anxiously thought, biting her lip as she turned away from the two. She bent down and pet her Pokemon. _I don't even know what moves Fennekin knows except ember… _

"So, what do you say, Serena? Is this still a go?" Clemont asked in a quiet voice, feeling guilty for doing the opposite of what she had asked. "I'm sorry for—"

Serena sighed and had her Pokemon jump into her arms. She faced them again with a goofy smile. "I just didn't want Ash to see what I'm capable of," she joked. "His Pokemon Master position might be threatened once he sees my natural talent!" _I shouldn't be mad… Ash would never judge me, even if I do end up sucking at this._

"That's the spirit!" Ash howled in excitement. He ran out over towards the side so that he could give the two trainers room.

Clemont grinned as he held up a Pokeball. Even Serena didn't know what Pokemon he was going to use for this battle, though she was hoping it would be Chespin so that Fennekin's fire type would be more effective. If he was to use his Bunnelby, it's ground type moves would put her sweet Pokemon at a disadvantage. She smiled to herself, mentally patting herself on her back for knowing the type match ups.

"Okay Serena, I'm not going to go easy on you. I am, after all, a Pokemon Gym Leader!" Clemont spoke as he threw up the Pokeball in his hand. The red light expanded into the shape of a rabbit, which frustrated Serena.

"Bun-Bun! Buuunnellby!" It cried out as it flexed his arms up.

"Alright Fennekin, we need to focus and work hard, okay? I choose you!" Her Pokemon leaped out of her arms and into the normal arena. His eyes were full of determination as he glared at his opponent fiercely.

Clemont spoke in an almost arrogant tone, "Serena, you do realize that you're set at a disadvantage, right?"

"The only real disadvantage in a Pokemon battle is a bad attitude!" She responded hotly, new-found courage searing throughout her body. Ash turned to face his female traveling companion with a surprised look on his face. "Fennekin, let's start this out right! Go at Bunnelby with everything you got—let's try a Quick Attack!"

Fennekin attempted to hastily run towards the bunny Pokemon, but it wasn't very fast at all. Serena knew that this wasn't a Quick Attack, but instead it was just a Tackle.

"Dodge by using Dig, Bunnelby!" Clemont ordered as he pointed out a finger.

"Bunnel!" It disappeared within a moment by carving through the ground with it's strong ears. Fennekin stopped mid-tracks and looked around at his sides, unsure of where it was going to be coming from.

Serena's face fell as she tried to think of a strategy. _Oh no, Clemont's Pokemon could be coming from anywhere… Where would it not come from?!_ Her eyes widened with knowledge. "Fennekin! Jump into the hole where he started digging!" She hoped it would confuse her opponent. "Use your nose!"

The little fox jumped into the small hole, barely fitting. Even though Serena couldn't see her Pokemon, she tried her best to connect with it so that she knew what he was thinking and what he was seeing.

The Bunnelby finally came up on the surface with a confused expression once he didn't meet with Fennekin. "Bunnelby?"

Clemont realized something and shouted intensely, "Bunnelby, watch out!"

Fennekin appeared from the exiting hole, his coat of fur was darkened because it pelted with dirt, and was behind his opponent.

"Use Ember, Fennekin!" Serena screamed as she jumped up and down in excitement.

"Cover yourself with your ears!"

Bunnelby quickly protected himself with his huge ears. Although it still took away quite a bit of its' health, it was less than what it would have been if it hit his whole body.

"Fennekin, quick while it's not looking, try to Bite him!" Serena called out.

Her Pokemon bolted forward and latched himself onto Bunnelby's head and bit his left ear. The Bunnelby squirmed in pain and tried to shake him off.

Ash clapped from the side and shouted, "Amazing, Serena! You're doing great, Fennekin!"

"Perfect, Bunnelby, endure the pain and prepare a Mud Shot!"

"Fennekin, let go of him and run!" Serena screeched as she felt her stomach plummet.

"Buuuuunn!" The normal-type Pokemon cried as he blasted the dodging fire-type Pokemon with a super-effective Mud Shot. The poor fire fox was flown back several yards and tumbled back while it choked on the high-pressurized muddy water. Serena gasped as she ran out to help her Pokemon, knowing full well that that was the last move to be used in this battle. Once Bunnelby noticed his owner's friend approach her hurt Pokemon, he stopped attacking and turned to Clemont for approval. Clemont smiled and congratulated his Pokemon while Serena started to tear up as she held her damaged Fennekin.

"You did great," She sadly whispered, stroking the dirty and unconscious Pokemon. "I'm sorry, I'll go get you healed immediately!" Ignoring the approaching concerned Ash, she held her Pokemon and ran back in the direction of the Pokemon Center, leaving Clemont bathe in his empty victory and leaving a concerned Ash on the arena.

Clemont walked up towards his black haired friend and said, "Aren't you glad I woke you? She battled amazingly for her first time."

"You bet! She had a good strategy goin' for her!" Ash complimented her as he turned towards Clemont.

"She sure is something else." Clemont smirked as he looked at Ash, hoping for some kind of reaction.

Ash didn't say anything to that last statement, but instead he found his eyes locked on the running Serena.

"Now, it's two in the morning. Stop gawking and let's get to bed."

* * *

Serena didn't sleep much even when she got back to the Center, but instead she stayed next to Fennekin's side the whole time. She has never seen her own Pokemon in this kind of condition and it broke her heart. Nurse Joy checked on her almost an hour later once she got back and handed her a pillow and blanket, knowing the trainer wasn't going to leave Fennekin's side. Serena thanked her, even though she knew those items weren't going to be put to use.

"Oh, Fennekin, I'm so sorry," Serena muttered as she pet him. She closed her eyes because even though she wasn't going to sleep, it didn't mean she wasn't tired. "I'm sorry for making us lose. We both need to get stronger, don't we?"

The sleeping Pokemon didn't respond.

Although, _someone_ did reply.

"Don't worry Serena, that was a really good match!" Ash's sleepy voice appeared from behind her. Her eyes opened to see Ash in his pajamas and it made her blush.

Serena responded softly, "It could have been better." She turned back to look at her Pokemon again.

Ash walked over to her side. "You know, I was the same way with Pikachu when he first got hurt," he spoke in a quiet voice, reminiscing the first time he rushed Pikachu to a PokeCenter.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was so scared. I didn't want to lose my friend."

Serena stole a glance to look at him. He was staring at Fennekin with intense eyes and a small smile. Seeing Ash with his pajamas on and him looking so… defenseless… made Serena's heart race.

"You were amazing out there, Serena," Ash complimented suddenly.

"T-Thank you."

Ash then looked at his childhood friend and smiled.

She returned the look and tried to smile back.

"You scared me too, the other day, you know," Ash quietly said. "I didn't want to lose you, either."

Serena's eyes widened as she focused her gaze on her hands, not knowing what to say. She meekly nodded, embarrassed to even show her face to him now.

"I called your mom. I thought she would want to know. Sorry I didn't tell you until now. She was worried and she almost got a ride out here, but I convinced her that you're okay. I told her that you'd call back home once you recovered," Ash explained.

Serena nodded yet again. "Thank you for doing that. I'm surprised you remembered her number from that one time we all video-called her."

Ash was now the one with the blush on his face. "Well, I actually looked through your bag to find her number… Sorry for not asking first."

Serena was surprised that he cared enough to call her mother that he actually went through her stuff. "No, don't worry. Thank you."

Ash had a goofy smile on his face. He patted her head and rustled her hair up. The friendly gesture made Serena look up expectantly and her heart skip a beat. "No worries! Glad you're feeling better. Just try to get some sleep, okay?"

Serena responded warmly, "You need some sleep too!"

"And that's where I'm headed. Goodnight, Serena!"

Serena had just remembered that her mother had contacted Calem because she had known about her accident from Ash… and Calem visited her while she was recovering… with _Ash_. So why didn't he say anything about her visitor?

"Wait, Ash!" Serena called out as she stood up from her chair in sudden urgency.

Ash spun around. "Yeah?"

She didn't know how to ask about him because she had pretended to be asleep, so how would she just have known about the visit? She shook her head and apologized, "No, never mind. Goodnight."

Ash furrowed his eyebrows, but waved his hand as he started walking away again.

_But just why wouldn't he tell me about Calem visiting though?_ Serena asked herself.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Sorry for a short chapter... I've been so busy with school lately and filling out scholarships!

Thank you so much!

xoxo


	4. jealousy

"No fair, no fair, no FAIR!" Bonnie yelled in anger, huffing while crossing her arms. "I wanted to see Serena battle for her first time too! Why didn't you wake me up?! And against Brother too! I wish I could've watched!"

Serena met up with the well-rested Bonnie and the not-so-well-rested Clemont first as she couldn't find Ash or Pikachu. She herself was exhausted and noting her blonde friend's sluggish movements, she knew he must've been tired as well. Feeling a little bad, she tried to perk up. "I'm sorry, Bonnie! I promise you'll watch my next battle—which will be the first one that I'll win! So if that counts for anything…" Serena sweat dropped as Fennekin nodded determinedly.

"Yes!" Bonnie patted the happy fox's head and motioned him down out of Serena's arms to play with her and Dedenne. "Yay! Go, Fennekin, go! Go, go!" They ran off out of the lobby and outside, one another chasing the other.

Serena then glanced to the side and saw Clemont just space out, looking at nothing in particular. "Clemont—thank you again." Serena had her big, cute smile on her face and her genuine eyes shined with happiness.

Clemont looked at her and a blush appeared on his face. He pushed up his glasses and laughed awkwardly. "O-Of course, Serena. Ash stayed up later than me anyways, because didn't he check on you in the middle of the night? Do you know where he is now?"

Taken aback at how Ash was abruptly brought up, she shared a blush on her face. "O-Oh, well, no… I just woke up not too long ago…" She looked to her sides to see if he had somehow appeared.

"Ash wanted to train today, I wonder if he just went on ahead of us?" He spoke his thoughts out loud as he started to head out towards where his sister exited.

_Oh of course! That's Ash for you—always working so hard!_ Serena thought happily as she put her arms behind her back and almost skipped while following her friend.

* * *

"_ZzzZzz_…" A loud snore emitted from a guest bedroom that belonged to none other than Ash Ketchum. He was lost in a deep sleep because he had stayed up way too late for what his body was used to. Ash always overworked himself, but he also always compensated with a surplus amount of sleep—which he had lacked last night.

"Pikachu!" The yellow mouse Pokemon, however, didn't accompany him to Serena's first battle last night so he was beyond ready to start his day. The Pokemon was shoving Ash every which way trying his best to wake him up gently. Pikachu couldn't remember the last time he had to shock his trainer as an alarm clock since that was his last resort tactic, but he was thinking it was coming down to the wire.

Ash's Pikachu lifted his small arms to start conducting electricity before he heard his owner mumble out: "Urhh… that's… right, finish with, mmm, Ember…" Confused, Pikachu tried to think of a Pokemon in Ash's party that could use the move Ember and the little mouse drew a blank until his trainer finished mumbling. "Good…job… Serenaaaa…"

"Pika-pi?" Pikachu questioned to himself. Then shrugging, the electric rodent finally woke up his owner with a Thundershock.

"PIKACHU!" Ash's voice screamed out as his body felt crisp and unwillingly energetic.

* * *

The gang eventually met up and much to Serena's dismay, Ash had overslept and missed out not only on his morning training but on much of his early afternoon training as well. The raven haired boy was determined to make up of lost time by just working even harder, which drained his energy even quicker. After just two hours of working on new moves for his Froakie and Fletchling, he collapsed to the ground and panted in exhaustion alongside his Pokemon.

Serena and Bonnie ran out to him from the shade in concern, while Clemont stayed under the tree to finish tinkering with one of his new machines. Once the two girls reached him, the younger of the two handed him a bottled water that he immediately chugged.

"Thanks a ton, Bonnie!" He wiped his mouth and sighed, "Boy, am I tired!"

A twinge of guilt seared through Serena. She replied softly, "Do you want me to make you and your Pokemon a snack?"

Ash grinned, "If you don't mind? You don't have to even cook it, just would you go grab me something quick? I saw a PokeMart not too far from this battlefield…"

Serena nodded intently. "Of course, Ash! Bonnie, would you like to come with? We can also get Dedenne something to eat too!"

"Sure!" Bonnie happily sung as she latched her small body onto Serena's arm.

"Dedenne!" her little Pokemon added.

"We'll be back soon! Just relax, okay?" Serena gently spoke as a small smile remained on her face.

* * *

"Ash sure is something else!" Bonnie said as they started their small trek into town. "Even after staying up so late, he's still working so hard! I hope that I'll be just like him when I'm a trainer!"

Serena nodded happily as she looked off into the sky. "That's a good goal to set, Bonnie. I hope that I too will end up like him!"

"More like you want to end up _with_ him," Bonnie snickered in a hushed tone. Her small Pokemon giggled alongside with her while Serena glanced down at her in confusion since she didn't hear what the young girl had to say.

Once they reached the light blue building, they picked out the snacks immediately because they didn't want to waste anymore time. Serena knew that Ash liked basically all kinds of foods, so she picked out an assortment. She also grabbed the energy mix of the Pokemon food, knowing full well that all their Pokemon could benefit from it. Once her hands dropped her groceries in the line, someone behind her tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss." A voice she didn't recognize bellowed out.

She turned around to be greeted by an older man in a luxurious suit and tie. She replied unsurely towards him, "Yes sir?"

"I couldn't help but notice your cute style in clothing," he began as he scanned her up and down. "I'm hosting this TV show special later this afternoon down the street from here. Come stop by and we'll shoot some film—my sponsors would love having you as a model!" The mysterious man handed her a business card that seemed legitimate.

Grateful and flattered, Serena smiled from ear to ear, "Well, thank you so very much! That means the world to me… So of course I'll come check it out!"

"Wonderful, thank you." The man quietly disappeared out of the store with a grin.

"Woah, Serena! You're like a super model or something!" Bonnie shrieked in happiness once the man had left, jumping up and down frantically. "You're famous! You're famous! Can I have your autograph?!" The light blonde was merely joking around, but it still attracted attention.

The whole store turned to face the loud girl, eying them with apprehension. A few teenage girls ran over in front of the two girls with googling eyes and a blank notebook of paper, chiding together that they wanted an autograph too.

Serena sweat dropped and laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry girls," Bonnie answered in a proper and formal tone for her friend as she put up her finger in a serious tone. "The Great Serena is far too busy for—"

"Yes of course I'll sign it!" Serena interrupted the defeated Bonnie as she gracefully took their paper and writing utensil. She signed her name in her very cute handwriting and even added a small heart at the end. The random girls gushed with enthusiasm as they bowed to Serena in a polite way.

"Thank you, Miss Serena!" Their high voices cried in unison.

Bonnie huffed from the side, "Humpf." Her Dedenne looked away haughtily, trying to mimic his owner's attitude.

Serena waved happily as those young girls skipped away out of the store in a hurry. "I can't wait to tell Mimi that we met a star today in the…" One of their voices trailed away as she soon exited the store. If anyone doubted Serena's _stardom_ in the store, they seemed to be swayed as everyone soon started to whisper in awe about the 'young prodigy movie star'.

"Is this how rumors start?" Serena whispered as she ushered Bonnie out of the store after grabbing their bags. As much as the girl loved the limelight, she felt out of place because she didn't actually deserve all that praise. _Maybe someday I'll be an actual famous person!_ she thought as her heart swelled with newborn happiness and desire.

Bonnie, still jealous, mumbled, "Okay well next time I get to be part of the Elite Four!"

Serena laughed freely, the first moment in days that she was genuinely happy.

* * *

On the way back to where Ash was training at, Serena was thinking of all the different poses that she would try out later that day while Bonnie hummed a short song to her sweet fairy Pokemon.

"I wonder if Ash is still resting or if he went back to work," Bonnie suddenly commented out loud.

The daydreaming girl was snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, well hopefully he is still resting. He was training pretty hard and he hasn't had anything to eat all day!" Serena lifted up the bag that she carried in one hand. "Hopefully this energizes him!"

They finally reached his training place and instead of just seeing Ash, they saw another trainer in front of him. It seemed as if the two of them just finished battling and by the look of disapproval on Ash's face, it seemed he had lost.

Serena ran up to the two of them with Bonnie close behind. She delivered the plastic bag to him as he gingerly accepted it. "Here, Ash! I—"

"And who may this be?" The other male trainer asked in a curious voice as he and his Pokemon stepped forward. Serena turned to face him to see that he was around their age and extremely handsome. He had short, messy brown hair and a crooked smile. His Pokemon looked extremely tough—it was one that Serena didn't recognize.

"My friend, Serena. This is a trainer that I just battled, his name is Jacques and that is his partner, Medicham." Ash had weakly introduced the two and Serena worriedly looked back at the saddened Ash.

Jacques took her hand without her even knowing. Surprised, she faced him again while he gently shook it. "My pleasure, beautiful."

"Nice to meet you, Zach!" Serena absent-mindedly spoke as she pronounced the wrong name. After shaking his hand, she faced back towards her traveling companion. "How was the battle, are you okay?"

"Not one of Froakie's or my best," He admitted slowly as he looked back down at his fingers after sneaking a small glare in at Jacques.

Serena put her hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. "Hey, don't worry. You were tired and so were your Pokemon—everyone has their off days! Let's just eat something and work hard again, okay?" She smiled brightly even though inside she was screaming out of guilt because Ash only had an off day because he was tired from staying up so late.

Ash stood up, suddenly angrily, and his grip on the bag tightened fiercely. "I just need to focus and actually get sleep tonight."

Serena's hand froze in mid air after trying to reach back out at the Ash walking away with Pikachu worriedly following behind. "I…" She weakly started, feeling absolutely terrible, but Ash was already close by Clemont far away.

"Are you okay, Miss Serena?" Jacques asked gently as he walked right up next to her.

Serena sighed and nodded. "Yes, he's just cranky today."

"Boyfriend problems," Jacques commented in a monotone while his Medicham shrugged.

The honey blonde blushed and waved her hands frantically. "Oh, n-no, not like _t-that_ at all!" She heard the quiet Bonnie snicker from behind and that made her turn her head around to give a look of warning to her. "Not like that at all," she repeated in a softer, firmer tone.

"Oh," Jacques murmured as he somehow understood the situation.

Bonnie then interrupted, "Serena, are you still going to that thingy later?!"

Serena suddenly remembered what had happened less than half an hour ago and her heart fluttered and her stomach grew queasy with Butterfrees. "I'd like to," she admitted. "But I feel like I should be here for Ash, especially if he's having a bad day."

"What 'thingy' later?" Asked the curious Jacques. Serena, not wanting to be rude, kept the question of why this certain trainer was sticking around to herself. She had an idea why and even though she would never say it out loud, she was used to guys like this back home. They always tried to swoon her and even though she was never interested in anyone but a certain trainer that was ingrained into her memory, she felt too bad to be mean to the helpless guys.

"Serena got a modeling job!" Bonnie exclaimed happily. She threw her hand out in front of the older guy and attempted to firmly hand-shake him. "The name's Bonnie, and I'm Serena's agent!"

He chuckled light-heartedly. "Nice to meet you, Bonnie. Does it happen to be with this man named Vincent?"

Serena shrugged and suddenly felt unprofessional. "He… never gave me his name. And I… don't know exactly his location, either."

"Well, a man actually came up to me too, yesterday afternoon," Jacques revealed as his Medicham nodded besides him. "He told me he was having this TV Show special, or something. Wanted me to participate the next day at 4 o'clock in the early evening. Was that the time he told you?"

Serena nodded energetically and her eyes glimmered with hope. "Can we go together?!"

Jacques blushed as he shyly scratched his head. "I wouldn't mind."

The younger girl looked up at Serena expectantly. "Does that mean you don't need me?"

The stylish trainer looked over to see Ash talking to Clemont intensely and felt a pit in her stomach. _He probably is mad at me… So it's better that I'm gone for awhile… _"Well Bonnie, I think Ash needs the encouragement from you. I'll just go with Zach—"

"Jacques," he quietly corrected her.

"Jacques will be with me, so it's okay!" Serena said in mild humiliation for forgetting his name already.

Bonnie nodded. "You're probably right! I'll be rooting for you all the way back here then!"

Serena grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ash mumbled quietly as he laid on the grass after consuming most of the food Serena had bought him.

Clemont looked up at his friend from tinkering with a metal piece that was in his hands. "What do you mean?"

The raven-haired boy closed his eyes and responded hotly, "That guy that I just battled—he's talking to Bonnie and Serena. What are they talking about?"

The scientist set his gaze over to the three. "Well, I'm not sure. Looks like it's a fun conversation. Serena looks happy for the first time in days."

Ash grumbled to himself as he put his hands over his head.

Clemont sent him a side glance with a small smirk. "What's wrong with Serena being happy?"

"Nothing, of course!"

The three suddenly split up and the boy in glasses watched Serena and Jacques wave to his little sister as they walked the other way towards the town. Bonnie started skipping towards them from where they disbursed.

"Why did Serena just leave with him?" Clemont inquired out loud. This sentence made Ash sit up immediately and open his eyes towards their direction. He watched his friend walk away next to his ex-opponent and have a small smile on her face while looking at him.

"Pika-pi?"

Bonnie finally reached the two. "Hiii~" The cute blonde greeted them merrily.

"Where is Serena going, Bonnie?" Clemont asked eagerly.

"When we were in town, she was asked to go to this modeling agency thing later today! Turns out, so did that guy! So they're both going together," Bonnie explained with a smile. "It was so cool… everyone thought she was famous at the store!"

"That is really neat, I'm happy for her," the scientist complimented before going back to his experiment.

"What do you think, Ash? Are you happy for her too?!"

Ash nodded absently. "Yeah, good for her."

"Sounds like _soooomeone_ is jealous." Bonnie giggled.

Ash replied irritably, "Why would I be? Just mad that I lost to that girly-modeling-boy!" He stood up abruptly and pointed his finger at Pikachu. "We have a lot of work to do, so let's get back at it!"

Bonnie looked at her Dedenne after watching Ash run back out into the battlefield with new motivation. "Boys are strange."

"Dede!"

* * *

Thank you for patiently waiting for this update!

This small modeling thing and Ash's lost battle and mysterious Jacques are all key factors in this story, although Jacques isn't a permanent character and will be here for just one more chapter. He has a purpose, trust me. Plus I feel like every episode of Pokemon they meet someone new, so please bare with me!

Next chapter is going to be really intense, so stay tuned! I'll do my best to update in less than a week because you guys all waited so nicely... hehehee~

xoxo


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